What should you consider when buying a second-hand car?
Buying a second-hand car is a large financial investment for many individuals so it is very important to make sure that the car you are shopping around for is a sound investment and not finding out after your purchase that the car you thought was a fantastic car turns out to be a money pit or a lemon that is now going to cost you hundreds of dollars if not thousands of dollars in repairs or even the fact you may not even own the vehicle.
There are usually two types of sellers one seller who is honest about the car they are selling and the other seller who only wants your money. This can mean if you pick the wrong seller you may very well be buying a car that can require minor repairs to extensive repairs and the seller may not tell you about repairs which may also be a reason that the car is being sold it could also have been a previously accident repaired vehicle may be even had flood damage or the seller has found out the repairs needed on the vehicle are too expensive so now they have decided to sell the car along with any problems to the next buyer which could be you.
There is nothing wrong with buying a second hand or used car as long as you know the industry and what to be looking for but the majority of buyers can at times be naive and can be easily persuaded and pressured to buy a car on the spur of the moment which ends up being a bad choice.
There are car yards and then there are car yards and from the first-hand experience I have had over the years, some cars that are for sale on car yard lots have just been delivered from auctions (auctions are another issue) and put straight onto the car lot without even being checked.
Don’t believe the line from dealers ‘the car has to go to the mechanics to get an inspection” or the car has just had an inspection done by the mechanic”, sure it may have had an inspection (pink slip) just done but it only means the car has been passed as “road worthy” inspection and has nothing to with a car needing potentially expensive repairs or can also have other serious problems which have nothing to do with a road worthy inspection.(Buyer always beware)
Remember car dealers don’t really like to spend money repairing cars they have for sale so if people “take them” as they are there may be no warranty as you always have to sign a contract of sale which means you are agreeing to buy the vehicle as it is so any repairs that may be required may need to be paid for by you.(there are some exceptions but even then it could be long drawn out dispute)
There are many variants such as your budget and the types of vehicles being purchased and because they are a second-hand car they will always have “wear and tear” which is expected but you really don’t want to buy a car that needs major items replaced such as timing belts, suspensions, brakes or maybe has computer problems (unless this is factored into the price) as these repairs can be in the thousands which were probably not part of your budget or a reason that the person or a dealer that is selling the car hoping you “take it as it is”.
You should always consider having a vehicle inspection if don’t have enough knowledge to make informed decisions in areas that may require a different expertise so you know for sure what you are actually about to buy.
You can always contact me for further information.
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